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NEWS IN BRIEF |
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43% is the storage percentage at Jordanian Dams
AL RAI, February 21, 2008
The winter rains this year reached 54.6 % of the annual mean. The long term annual mean is 8322 MCM. The average last year was 7683 MCM. This water deficiency for a second consecutive year has dangerous impacts on water availability. The water stored at dams -- 92.94 MCM -- is only 43.3 percent of the total storage capacity of the 9 major dams, which have a total capacity of 217 MCM. At the Unity Dam, only 10.9 MCM of water are stored out of the 110 MCM capacity, which is less than 9.9%. Other dams also are not filled to capacity. For example, Al Arab is filled to 48.4% of its capacity, Talal to 53%, Al Mujeb to 53%, Ziglab to 41%, and Karamah to only 27% of its capacity.
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Israel rapidly losing its water sources
Ha'Aretz, Zafrir Renat, February 7, 2008
Israel will soon be unable to use a considerable part of its natural water sources, because of the deteriorating quality of groundwater reserves, exacerbated by reduced rainfall due to climate change. Most of the water in the Coastal Aquifer, one of Israel's two main ground-water sources, is below the standard for potable water, according to a recent report by the Water Authority's Hydrological Service. This Aquifer provides almost one-third of Israel's water supply. Water samples taken two years ago from the Coastal Aquifer were of poor quality, because they were contaminated with pollutants from sewage and fertilizers, such as chlorides or nitrates. And these problems are expected to get worse. One reason for the Coastal Aquifer's high salinity is excessive water drilling, which lowers the water's level and leads to the penetration of sea water into the drinking water. The report recommends not pumping more water than the amount entering the groundwater reserve in the Coastal Aquifer in the form of rainwater. Instead, alternative water sources, such as desalination, are recommended. The report analyzed the water's quality based on recommendations for drinking water quality standards made by a team of experts headed by Professor Avner Adin. Most of the committee's recommended standards, which have not yet been anchored in legislation, are stricter than the former standards. Unlike the Coastal Aquifer, the water quality of the Mountain Aquifer -- which also provides water for the Palestinians -- is still good. However, the report states that water in Qalqilyah and Tul Karm is polluted. The Service recommends speeding up the treatment of sewage from West Bank Palestinian communities and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The report also recommends reducing drilling from the West Mountain Aquifer by one tenth and to be prepared for increased water drilling on the Palestinian side.
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Abu Al Soud, the Government will be obliged to make difficult decision regarding increasing water prices
AL RAI, February 17, 2008
The Minister of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Raed Abu Al Soud, said that the rise of electricity prices is one of the factors that will affect water tariffs. The decision to raise water prices is difficult. The Government cannot afford to continue to subsidize the water sector. Salary increases for approximately 3000 staff at the Ministry is another major factor contributing to a likely increase in water prices. The Minister assured people that the majority of water users (74%) will not be significantly affected. The costs of water supply and sanitation is exceeding 1.10 JD, while the Ministry receives back around 0.5 JD. The last modification to water prices occurred in mid-2005 and was implemented in the first quarter of the 2006.
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Aluja spring is flowing again as a result of heavy rains
Al-Quds newspaper, February 6, 2008
The water of Aluja spring in Jericho city is flowing again as a result of the heavy rains. Prior to this winter, the farmers had been complaining of the lack of water in the spring in previous years. Mr. Ayman Jarhud, the chief of the Farmers' Committee in Aluja, confirmed the necessity of implementing a rehabilitation project for the spring and the 7 km canal that transfers the water from the spring to the fields.
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Down by the riverside, in Tul Karm and Emek Hefer
Ha'Aretz, Zafrir Renat, February 25, 2008
It is relatively easy for a prosperous city in western Europe or a flourishing town in Israel such as Kfar Sava to devote more attention to environmental awareness. But what about cities that are struggling, isolated and closed off, such as the Palestinian town of Tul Karm, located less than half an hour's drive from Kfar Sava? It turns out that even there, Israelis and Palestinians have been working together to improve the environmental situation. Recently, they have been trying to advance a project to set up the Alexander-Zemer Peace Park. Tul Karm is located in the middle of the area slated for the park, which will hopefully make it a little greener and more environmentally friendly. Perhaps the cooperation taking place in this area will help to prepare both sides for expanded cross-border collaboration. The park's name comes from two rivers: Wadi Zemer (known in Hebrew as Nahal Shechem) on the Palestinian side and the Alexander River, into which the Zemer flows, on the Israeli side. The Emek Hefer Regional Council and the Tul Karm municipality have long cooperated to address environmental problems. Now, both sides are interested in expanding this cooperation. "The idea was born during joint meetings that we held [with] South African professor, Willem Van Riet, CEO of the Peace Parks Foundation," said architect Amos Brandeis, chief planner of the project to rehabilitate the Alexander River. "Following 11 years of joint activity . . . the idea of the park is one of regional cooperation based on comprehensive planning by both Israeli and Palestinian teams. Today, we are busy raising money for the planning, and later, we will raise money for putting the plan into effect." The basic idea is to create a green corridor that starts east of Tul Karm and continues across the border to the Emek Hefer Regional Council. Opposite the Nur al-Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of Tul Karm, a public park will be set up and part of the nearby forest will be rehabilitated. A parallel park will be established on the Israeli side. Hiking trails will be set up, as well as "green basins" containing water plants that strain and purify pollutants. Efforts to rehabilitate the Alexander River will be expedited and will include placing special devices in the riverbed that can trap garbage thrown into the water. The planned park will be run by a joint management and will include visitor centers and educational activities. "My dream is that in the future, there will be no more need for a separation fence . . . and the children of Emek Hefer will play with Palestinian children in the joint park," said Nahum Itzkowitz, a former head of the Emek Hefer Regional Council, who initiated the project to rehabilitate the Alexander. All sewage from the Palestinian cities of Tul Karm and Nablus flows to a facility on the Israeli side near Kibbutz Yad Hannah. The sewage is purified at the facility and allowed to flow back into the river.
Another recent activity, in which Friends of the Earth Middle East was involved, was the collection of waste from five Palestinian olive oil manufacturing facilities and the transfer of this waste to Israel for treatment. That is, the waste was dumped into a reservoir, which diluted it, before it flowed back into the Alexander River during the winter floods. Until this project began, the waste from the olives had gone directly into the River, which caused a great deal of pollution. This project has received some funding from the German firm of Daimler Benz.
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Preparatory Meeting for the Fifth World Water Forum Held in Amman
AL RAI, February 26, 2008
In Amman, preparatory meetings have begun for the Fifth World Water Forum, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2009. The World Water Forum will address a variety of topics, including water resource management in arid and semi-arid areas. Al Rai reported that the Minister of Infrastructure in Israel, Binyamin Ben Eliezer, opened the sessions. Sixteen countries participated in this preparatory meeting, including Iraq, Iran, UAE, Lebanon, and Syria. Discussion topics included: water resource management, institutional arrangements for public-private partnerships, desalination, state of the art irrigation technologies, and financing.
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UNICEF will provide Gazan schools with drinking water
Al-Quds newspaper, February 2, 2008
UNICEF declared that it will provide 220 schools in the Gaza Strip with drinking water on a daily basis. This declaration was made based on the difficult situation in Gaza, including the continuing electricity blackouts, and lack of water and oil, due to the ongoing conflict.
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